Fated
by remuslives
Summary: It's time for the Quarter Quell. Katniss will have to learn to trust Finnick as he tries to keep her alive despite all else.
1. Quarter Quell

Katniss woke up screaming and covered in sweat. Panting, she swung her legs out of bed and rested her aching head in her hands. After her Victory Tour ended, the nightmares had only intensified again leading up to the new reaping, the Quarter Quell.

When President Snow had read the card, she was sure her heart had stopped. As the only two surviving victors in District 12, both she and Haymitch would be returning to the arena. The first night following the announcement, they got drunk together. Since then, they'd been getting in shape and Haymitch was sobering up.

Quietly, so as not to wake her mother or sister, she dressed and slipped out into the darkness. The village was silent, as everyone slept in, on Reaping Day.

"Where are you going?" Gale asked, stepping around the side of her house.

"Needed some air. You hunting?"

"Maybe." But instead, he moved forward to hold her. "Last chance to leave," he whispered into her hair.

"It's too late for that." She buried her head in his chest. "You know I'm okay with you and Madge, right? I want you to be happy."

"...I know. But I-"

"Don't. This is hard enough; I need to know that you'll take care of them, all of them. I need to know that you'll be happy."

He nodded his acceptance. With a kiss to her head, he moved quickly away, wiping his face as he went.

She watched him disappear into the woods. The rest of her morning was spent watching the sunrise and listening to the surrounding families wake up. At some point, both Prim and Haymitch had joined her. Slowly, they began moving with the crowd heading to the center.

"I love you, Prim," Katniss said softly, kissing and hugging her sister. "Go find Mom."

Together, she and Haymitch went into the small roped off section, reserved for them. They waited impatiently through the annual speeches, aware that Effie's smile was a little less bright, her voice a little duller than normal. She reached into both huge bowls and pulled out the single piece of paper in each and called their names, one at a time.

On the stage, Katniss kept her face carefully blank. But Haymitch didn't disguise his scowl and practically snarled at Effie when she asked him how he was feeling; sobriety did not suit him.

* * *

Finnick sat back with a casualness that he did not feel. He wasn't surprised when his name was pulled from the bowl, but he did wish someone, besides Mags, had volunteered for Annie. He would be hard-pressed to keep her alive until rescue came, assuming the rebel plan even worked, that is.

He watched silently through the reapings, as friends and co-conspirators were selected or volunteered. There were only a few victors chosen that he didn't genuinely like, and there was no way that all of them would survive to be extracted. But he kept his face impassive, even when the girl they'd placed all of their hopes in, walked onto the stage. He wondered if she had any idea.

* * *

He crunched on another sugar cube as he watched Katniss form the corner of his eye. She did a pretty good impression of him to Haymitch, making the older man snort loudly and pat her roughly on the shoulder once.

"Hmm."

"What?" Johanna asked, also studying the girl.

"I thought Chaff was the only person that Haymitch actually liked."

"Can't blame the guy; he mentors two tributes every year for twenty-four years. Doubt anyone could resist the one kid that finally came back out."

"Yeah. She's likable too; if you can get passed all of the glaring."

Johanna rolled her eyes and straightened her leaf headpiece.

"You just don't like that she looks great, and you're a tree."

"Oh, but this year, I get to be a _sparkly_ tree," she pretended to be excited and left for her chariot.

Grinning, Finnick double checked the placement of his knot and helped Mags onto their chariot, silently grateful their stylists hadn't dressed the old woman to match him. He loved her, but there were some things he was better off not seeing.

* * *

"What's the problem?" Mags asked him, over a small fire in the Training Center.

"We're supposed to become her allies," Finnick answered softly, adding another stick.

"So?"

"So, she doesn't like me. At all. Whenever I talk to her, she blows me off."

Mags laughed. "Which is a first for you."

"Not a first," he grumbled, but shrugged his broad shoulders.

"But it's rare. And it _is_ the first time that you've continued to make an effort afterward."

"Probably. So what do I do?"

"You could show her the real you, instead of the victor act."

He took a deep breath. "Doubt she'll give me the chance."

Mags grinned at his pout and patted his cheek. "Introduce me."

* * *

Finnick flopped down and stretched out on the sofa, shaking his head at Mags.

"Talked to Haymitch," he began. "He says that the girl wants Nuts, Bolts, and you."

Mags smiled.

"Considering who she chose as an ally last year, guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"Oh, you're just disappointed that she doesn't like you yet. Give her time. Besides, we're a package deal; she gets me, she's stuck with you too."

"Flattering, thanks."

"Finnick, she doesn't have to like you, she doesn't need to trust you. She just has to let you protect her." She patted his knee. "Things'll change when we get to the arena. That's when she'll be forced to rely on you. And learn that she _can_."

He rubbed his forehead, trying to relax. He wasn't used to people disliking him, especially women; it was strange. He had tried to be friendly, flirtatious, charming, strong, knowledgeable, he had even tried to go through Haymitch, but nothing worked. In three days, they would be in the arena; he _had_ to figure her out.

He thought about what he knew of her and what he had seen in the Training Center. She didn't want to be protected, she wanted to do the protecting. She knew she was strong and capable, and she wanted to help those weaker than herself. Perhaps a little flattery, let her teach him something... Besides, she really was an excellent shot.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading my first Hunger Games fic! Don't forget to review.**

**I have half of the next chapter written, so it shouldn't be a very long wait for #2.**


	2. Training Center

It was their last day in the Training Center as a group. Finnick was a little early, joining the others that had bothered showing up. Mags was taking a turn at knife throwing when he spotted Katniss, she was practicing knots again, this time alongside Seeder. Time for his new tactic.

"Katniss," he greeted her, keeping space between them. "Seeder."

"Good morning, Finnick," Seeder returned politely.

Katniss barely spared him a glance and a nod as she struggled with the knot. He resisted the urge to reach out and correct her work.

"So, what's on the schedule this morning, ladies?"

"Knots and edible plants for me," replied Seeder, fighting with her own piece of rope.

"Take it under, not over," he corrected her softly. "And you, Katniss? Ropes and berries?"

"Maybe. If I can just..." She frowned hard and finally yanked on the right piece, her knot falling perfectly into place.

Finnick couldn't resist the victorious smile she gave the rope; he felt his irritation with her slipping away. She was, after all, just a young girl in a scary, rough place.

"What about you, Finnick? What are you doing today?" Katniss asked, pleased with her success.

"I was thinking about a trade. With you. An hour of archery for an hour of...knots, tridents...posing, whatever you like."

Seeder's eyebrow went up, but he frowned at her; he had been careful to keep any suggestive tone out of his voice. Katniss didn't seem to notice either as she studied him.

"Tridents," she responded decisively.

"Excellent! Which would you prefer to do first?"

"Bows." She turned and left him behind.

"Whatever she wants, huh?" Seeder asked softly with a grin.

"Stop it." Finnick elbowed her lightly and followed the young woman.

He watched silently as she took a few shots, that were obviously no challenge to her at all. He even took the opportunity to admire the warmth and openness on her face. But, as she turned back to him, the indifference returned to her features. She was good at that mask, he realized.

"Your turn."

She handed him the weapon and ushered him forward. Feeling unusually self-conscious, Finnick stepped up and nocked an arrow achingly slow. He glanced at her, but she didn't look impatient. So he raised the bow to aim, drew back, paused, then released. His neck felt warm as the arrow sailed right over the target's left shoulder.

"Again," she said softly.

Relieved that she didn't laugh at him, he nocked another arrow. He took aim, but held it still, as he felt her small hand apply gentle pressure to his arm. He raised his elbow until the pressure ceased and the hand disappeared. He kept motionless as she circled behind him.

"Draw."

He pulled the string back and held it as she touched his abdomen.

"Tighten, straighten."

She pushed lightly between his shoulder blades. On tiptoes, she leaned in close, sighting down his arrow, one hand still on his back, the other reaching for his outstretched hand. She adjusted his aim and backed away.

"Release."

His fingers slipped from the string and the arrow flew straight, landing in the target's stomach.

Finnick grinned and looked at her, she was actually smiling back.

"Good. Again."

He nocked a new arrow and took his stance, raising the bow.

"Tighten your stomach," she advised softly. "Loosen your grip."

His arrow zipped into the floor a couple of feet away and Katniss laughed. She handed it back to him and shook her head.

"I meant on the bow."

He tossed her a sheepish grin and resumed his position.

"Draw...Release."

His arrow barely nicked the head of his target and he frowned.

"Again."

He prepared and drew back on the string. Once more, she was on her toes, leaning into him, her temple almost touching his jaw.

"Lower." She guided his hand. "Release."

Another solid hit, this time to the chest.

"Again. An arrow flies straighter than your tridents and they don't drop as fast," she said as he drew and released the next shot.

The arrow hit in the center of the head.

"Nice. Do it again."

Another hit, this time to the throat.

"A few more, then we should move on."

"Better be careful, Girlie," Brutus rumbled, nearing them. "Teach him all your tricks and he'll fill you full of holes."

"Well, fortunately for me, most of the tricks are just plain, old practice." She picked up a second bow and shot three arrows into the eyes of Finnick's target, while barely looking, in the time it took him to nock and draw.

"Impressive," Finnick commended as he let his final arrow fly. "On to tridents," he announced, setting the bow aside and ignoring Brutus' glower.

They walked together across the gym. Haymitch grinned and winked at them, making Katniss scowl.

"What was that?" Finnick asked casually.

"Haymitch is backing you pretty hard. He must be ecstatic."

"Really?"

She shrugged and grabbed a trident, leaning on it slightly as she watched him throw a few. He was pleased to show her that this was as effortless to him as the bow was to her.

"Next." He gestured her forward and watched as she threw it short of the target.

Frowning, she grabbed another one and positioned herself to throw.

"Wait," Finnick called as he saw her preparing to heave it. "First you need to square up a bit more."

He reached for her hips, but quickly changed direction and gripped her shoulders softly, adjusting her stance.

"You're not as tall or strong, so you need to hold it closer to the top, for balance. Now, when you throw, shift your weight to your front leg." He leaned down, checking her aim, much the same as she'd done earlier, and gently guided her hand into a better position.

"Release."

The trident slammed solidly into the target's chest.

"Nice." He wanted to tell her to do it again, but she hadn't waited, grabbing up the last trident.

"A little lower," he said softly.

Wrinkling her forehead, she lowered her aim and he almost let her throw it, but stopped her instead.

"I meant hold it lower on the handle."

She grinned a little and adjusted, throwing it squarely into the gut. She threw a few more, each good and strong, before she stopped.

"Gets heavy after a while," she commented as the specialist gathered the tridents from the targets again.

"Yeah, just takes some getting used to."

She nodded and glanced at the clock.

"Looks like that concludes our trade for today," Finnick announced, stretching. "Thank you, Katniss, for the excellent lesson."

She shrugged, looking over at Haymitch. "Yeah, you too. You're a good teacher."

"Helps when you have an attentive student." He smiled.

"Mmm...I'm sure you have a hard time keeping their attention."

His smile widened at her unexpected compliment. "See, that's exactly the problem; their focus is on me, not the weapon."

She shook her head and walked away. "Sounds dangerous," she called back.

Yep, it was official, Finnick like her, sarcasm, scowl, and all. It was a good thing his goal was to keep her alive, because he knew he wouldn't be able to kill her.

* * *

Katniss sat on the sofa and thought back on her trident lesson. She had noticed the careful way he touched her, keeping it strictly non-sexual; she appreciated that. Of course, it hadn't occurred to her to treat him the same way. She had taught him as she had taught Gale, as her father had taught her. At least he hadn't read anything into it. In fact, he had even seemed like a nice guy. She truly hoped she wasn't the one who had to kill him.

"How was training?" Haymitch asked after several minutes of silence.

"You were right...about Finnick," she admitted.

"Naturally," Haymitch agreed.

Katniss narrowed her eyes at him. "You already alined us with him, didn't you?"

"Course I did. You requested Mags, remember? You ask for one, you get both. Just like us. Only _I_ expected to be the one not wanted, Finnick didn't."

"...They're close, then?"

Haymitch shrugged. "She was his mentor when he won." He paused. "Oh, look, something else you have in common."

"I already agreed, let's not push it, okay?"

Haymitch snorted and got to his feet. "I'm heading out. Make sure you go to bed on time so Effie doesn't have a seizure."

"Hey! What do we do about mentors? For us?"

"Ah. We've been assigned a couple of mentors from District One, since they have so many to spare. And we've been promised they'll help us as best they can."

"So, we're on our own?"

"Most likely."

"Great," she grumbled.

Katniss stayed on the couch for a while, thinking of home and her family and her last Games. Frustrated, she headed up to the roof, which only reminded her of poor Peeta. She sat in the garden, wishing for trees. Roughly, she wiped away the single tear that escaped before she could stop it.

Footsteps approached behind her and she quickly composed herself as Seeder squatted down beside her.

"Hello Katniss," she said softly.

"Hi."

"I just wanted to personally thank you for what you did for Rue. And for her family and Thresh's too, on the Victory Tour. You can't imagine how much your words meant to them and what they've inspired. You touched all of District 11. And even though we aren't 'allies' in the arena, I want you to know, that I will avoid you, if at all possible. I wish you the best and put all of my hopes in you. Be strong and stay alive."

Seeder kissed Katniss' cheek and left her, shocked and alone, on the roof.

* * *

**A/N: Well, there you have it. Like it? No? Sorry, I can't hear you, you'll just have to review to let me know. :) **

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Interview and Arena

Katniss sat at the table with all of the other tributes, waiting to be evaluated. They were all joking about what they might do. Haymitch swore he was going to get drunk, while Finnick said he was just going to strip for them and the female from District 9 asked for a preview.

"And you, Katniss?" Haymitch asked. "Shooting arrows at the judges again this year?"

"Nah, they've put up a force field. Maybe I'll just twirl," she answered softly, making several of the victors laugh.

In the end though, her anger won out and she hung Seneca Crane. She glared at the screen when they awarded her a twelve.

"Well, that should please your mentor, at least," Haymitch offered with a shrug. "As long as she doesn't find out why."

Katniss shrugged and headed for bed, sure that her mentor couldn't care less.

* * *

Finnick's eyebrows went up at Katniss' score. "What the hell did she do?"

"Find out tomorrow," Mags suggested. "I'm exhausted."

But he couldn't sleep. He wandered around the apartment for a while, then gave up and went downstairs to the bar.

"Well look who's joining the party," Chaff hollered drunkenly. "And I know exactly what you're thinking. _How _did she do it?"

Finnick grinned and motioned for him to continue while he ordered a whiskey.

"She hung Seneca Crane."

His face drained of color and he looked to Haymitch for confirmation.

"True. She made a noose, which I hear she learned from you, hung up a dummy and painted the gamemaker's name on it," Haymitch continued.

"Girl's got some balls," Johanna cut in. "First, she shoots at judges, and then she follows that up by mocking their Head's execution. You were right, Finnick, I like her." She downed a glass of something purple and steaming.

"A twelve," Gloss said, sounding awed. "Man, they must really want her dead."

"Yeah," mumbled Haymitch, tipping back his bottle.

"Another," Finnick requested, holding up his empty glass. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Finnick waited impatiently as his lusty prep team put on his finishing touches. He wanted this mess over with so he could get down to business and escape Capitol and the Hunger Games forever.

"Perfect," his stylist announced. "If only all of the tributes could be so easy to dress."

Rolling his eyes, he left the four of them drooling behind him, and headed for the interview with Caesar. Despite the way he made it look, he really didn't like this part. Dressing up, smiling, playing nice, as if the whole bloody mess was perfectly fine and he was happy to be there.

Sighing, he rubbed a hand over his face; he had to stop those thoughts or he'd never get any sponsors. And he was going to need them to keep Katniss alive, because with a District 1 victor playing her mentor, she certainly wouldn't be getting any help.

"Oh Finnick," Johanna purred, coming up behind him. "Is your suit _painted _on?" And she burst out laughing.

"Yeah. My wonderful stylist wanted to show off my assets _tactfully_."

She laughed again. "Does he know what tactful means?"

"Obviously not," Haymitch chuckled, joining them.

Finnick shrugged. "He may have a tiny clue, I was able to talk him into a little...decoration." He gestured to the tiny string underwear with little silver studs covering the groin. "He was originally planning on only body paint."

Finnick couldn't help but smile as Katniss' eyes followed with Haymitch and Johanna's to his front. Her eyes widened and she looked quickly away.

"Talked him into it," Johanna scoffed. "Bet he'd do anything you said, so long as you were naked when you said it."

"Probably gave him a big, charming smile too," Haymitch agreed.

"As if you wouldn't," Finnick argued lightly.

"I wouldn't," Johanna denied.

"That's because you enjoy prancing around naked in front of everyone."

"I don't prance."

Finnick opened his mouth to retort, but they were ordered to line up and file onto the stage.

He waited patiently, deliberately not crossing his arms despite the chill air. He smiled when Caesar called him, chatted lightly, answered his questions, and flexed for the silly women in the audience. He could barely even remember what he talked about, but it was nothing important, despite his few subtle rebellious remarks.

As he listened to the other victors, his friends, continue, he started to imagine President Snow's face and how furious the bastard must be. By the time Katniss' wedding dress burned away, he knew that unless District 1 or 2 won, the victor wouldn't be making it out of the arena alive either. Unless their plan worked despite everything that could go wrong and ruin it.

* * *

Finnick took a deep breath as he was delivered to the arena. Wasting time until all the other tributes arrived and fighting off nerves, he stretched his arms, swinging them in large circles. He bounced around and tried to focus his mind. Judging by his outfit, he guessed there was going to be a significant amount of water. So, his first task would be to get Katniss to land and then get to the Cornucopia, if he still could.

He knew Mags was a decent swimmer, but he had doubts about Haymitch; there weren't a lot of swimming opportunities in District 12. However, his priorities were clear, and Haymitch was low on the immediate list.

His platform started moving, lifting him up to a whole lot of water and sunlight. Blinking rapidly, it took him a moment to focus his eyes. Katniss. Where was she? Ah...several platforms to his right, she looked around, seeming confused. Then, as he watched, she steadied herself and prepared to dive in and head for the Cornucopia. Could she swim?

He hesitated when they sounded the start; he had to see if Katniss could make it. She made surprisingly fast progress towards the waiting supplies. A little relieved, he dove in and came out a few steps behind the girl. He glanced around, not many of the others were making much progress. He ran to the weapon pile and snagged up a trident, just as Katniss turned her bow on him. He took a defensive position, not completely sure she would honor Haymitch's truce.

"I had no idea you were such a strong swimmer," Finnick said with a casualness he didn't feel.

"There's lots you don't know about me."

She eyed him carefully, probably wondering who was faster; he had to admit, he wasn't sure. But that's not what he was there for. Slowly, he lowered his trident and smiled at her. He felt confident for about half a second before she loosed her arrow. He flinched violently, raising his weapon to deflect the arrow, but it went wide, sinking into Silvia from District 10 as she crept up behind Finnick.

"Thanks," he mumbled, looking around, more and more were braving the water; they had to hurry. "Anything over there?"

He searched the pile, but as she confirmed, it was all weapons. He grabbed as much as he could feasibly carry, snatched Mags from the water and gestured for Katniss to lead.

But she was staring at Haymitch as he struggled to the strip of land.

"Katniss, let's go! He's going to grab Chaff and meet us. We gotta move!" Finnick growled. Didn't Haymitch tell her the plan? Was she completely in the dark?

Haymitch had just drug himself onto land when he saw her watching him. "Get out of here, Girl!" he shouted, climbing to his feet.

Katniss scrunched her eyebrows, looking both worried and furious. Luckily, when Finnick skewered Randolph, she frowned and followed behind him, as he carried Mags into the woods.

He wasn't sure how far or long they'd run when he was forced to stop; his muscles cramped from the additional weight on his back, his throat dry, his breath coming in pants. Together, he and Mags began weaving a shelter from the long grass, so similar to their own.

"He's meeting us?" Katniss asked, kneeling beside him.

"That's the plan." Finnick confirmed. "He didn't tell you anything, did he?"

"He's not big on sharing," she grumbled. "What'd he tell you?"

Finnick hesitated; she should know, but he didn't have any way to tell her without also informing the gamemakers.

"That...he'd meet us."

"Right." She rolled her eyes, easily seeing through his lie.

"Later, okay," he whispered, keeping his face down.

"I'm hunting," she announced, standing up.

"Look for water."

"Obviously." She left, quickly disappearing in the dense folliage.

"Hope she comes back," Mags blurted, hands not slowing.

"Me too. I really don't want to go wandering around, looking for her in trees."

They had just finished building a small shelter when the hunter returned with a funny looking creature hanging from her belt.

"Find water?"

"No, but he did. His muzzle was wet."

Finnick sighed, they _had_ to find water. It had to be available somewhere or else none of the victors would last long, and that simply wasn't very entertaining. And he doubted Heavensbee wanted to disappoint President Snow, especially not after Crane and the berry incident.

He had rather enjoyed watching the District 12 tributes make a mockery of the Game. And as sorry as he was for Peeta's 'accident', shortly after the Victory Tour, it had helped fire up the remaining districts into revolting. Now, they just needed to get the stubborn, suspicious girl on board, and he was sure the rebellion could win. She was, after all, a big piece of what had convinced him that it was possible; even though he hadn't bought the star-crossed lovers bit, like most of the others.

Not that he blamed her for doing what she had to for sponsors, she certainly wasn't going to get them based off of looks and personality like he had. Not that she was bad-looking, but he had seen prettier, much prettier. And he liked her straight forward, unflowery self, but he was a bit peculiar when it came to such things. Too many lying, manipulative women out there, trying to get something from him, he much prefered her blunt, un-caring attitude.

He blinked, coming out of his thoughts, as a parachute landed right in front of him.

"What is it?" Mags asked, leaning in and neglecting the basket she was weaving.

"Tell me it's water," Katniss pleaded softly.

He opened it and held it out with a frown.

"Mags?" he asked.

She shrugged and went back to her basket.

"Katniss?" He held it out to her.

She was studying it hard, too hard. She seemed just on the verge of an answer, but unable to grab it.

"I've seen one before. I think my dad..." Her eyes narrowed, but she scowled in frustration.

"Katniss, pretty name, like I could eat you up."

She glared at him before turning her hard gaze back to the object.

"May I call you KittyKat?" He smiled at her angry eyes.

"Only if I can call you FinnyBear," she said in mock sweet voice and a bit of a real grin.

"KittyKat and FinnyBear, oh what a lovely pair."

She rolled her eyes and turned back to the object. "A spile!"

"A what-ile?"

"A spile. I haven't seen one since I was a kid."

"Ok...so what's it do?" Finnick asked, following close behind her as she neared a few trees.

"Gets us water."

Together they hammered it in without breaking it. Water had just started dripping out when Mags shoved the new-made basket under the spout. They took turns drinking, then filled their basket, and pulled the spout from the tree.

Katniss held out the spile to Finnick but he waved her off.

"Just tie it to your belt and don't lose it."

"What if we get separated? It came from _your_ sponsors."

"Eh, the gamemakers will probably find a way to get me naked, you hold it."

"Maybe your stylist will get the sponsors to send you a net."

He smiled. "That image stuck in your mind, is it?"

"No," she scoffed, but Finnick caught a blush coloring her cheeks before she turned away.

"We should get some rest," Mags mumbled, heading for the shelter.

"I'll take first watch; you sleep."

Katniss narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but consented, crawling into the small shelter beside the old woman.

She looked too young to Finnick's eyes, as she curled onto her side. He couldn't help but wonder if she would be plagued with nightmares, or if she could even trust him enough _to_ sleep at all.

* * *

**A/N: Urgh, I've had this done since Sunday night, but my kids started ball practice this week, so apparently Wednesday is going to be my only chance to type and post new chapters. **

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, I _really _appreciate it! **


	4. Into the Fog

Finnick lay close beside mags, shaking off the uneasy feeling left by the tolls. He felt as if he had barely closed his eyes when he was being shaken awake.

"Finnick! Get up!" Katniss shouted in his face, there she reached passed him to help Mags up. "Now Finnick! We have to move!"

He drug himself to his feet, aware of a burning sensation all over his body as he emerged from the shelter. Fire? He didn't think so. He swept Mags up onto his back and chased after the girl several steps ahead of him. They ran so fast that he couldn't catch his breath; his arms kept seizing and weren't doing much more than dangling at his sides.

"Faster, Finnick, come on," Katniss encouraged, slowing her pace to wait on him.

He tried, but one of his legs was twitching terribly and he could barely hang onto his old friend because neither of his arms were working properly. When he stumbled and fell for the second time, Katniss pulled him to his feet and let Mags on her back.

He could see her legs shaking as she struggled to carry the woman who was almost her size. It was only a matter of time before the weight was too much; Finnick could only hope by then that he'd be recovered enough to take back over. When Katniss fell, he felt his heart sink, he helped them back up, but the poison was too strong.

She fell twice more, but lay panting the last time, arms jerking spasmodically as the fog closed in.

"Get on, Mags," Finnick said roughly, not sure what else to do. When she was secure on his back, he started to tug Katniss to her feet, but she waved him away.

"Go on. I just need to rest a minute; I'll catch up."

"I can't; you have to get up." He closed his eyes as he felt Mags slipping off of his back. "I can't," he said desperately, looking into her wrinkled, understanding eyes.

She gave him a small smile and kissed his lips, just as she had so many times before. He could barely see her through the tears filling his eyes as she walked directly into the fog and dropped.

Despite the stone in his chest, when the cannon fired, he pulled Katniss across his shoulders and stumbled on. He wasn't sure how many times they fell, but they could finally see the beach and he realized they were just lying still staring into the trees at a couple of monkeys.

"The fog stopped back there," she said roughly.

"Get out of the forest," he responded, rolling over and crawling.

He reached the sand but couldn't go on. What a failure he was; first he lost Mags, the only person left that he truly loved without condition, then he just let Katniss die on the beach; their one hope for a better future. He inched a little further. Hopefully, Johanna would find Katniss soon and be able to save her.

* * *

Finnick awoke to painful stinging all over his chest. His lids scratched his eyes as he opened them. A braid dangled near his face and he reached up to touch it; it was wet and very soft.

"Hey," a soft voice said beside him. "Feeling better?"

He tried to nod, but his head was still heavy and painful.

"Good. I've done the rest of you, but you have to help with your head. And it hurts. Bad."

He realized his head was lying in his lap as she poured still more water onto his chest, shoulder, and neck. He hissed as his neck burst into flames, or at least, that's what it felt like. She stroked his hair back gently; very much like his mother had many years ago.

Finnick closed his eyes and focused on enjoying the feel of her tender hands.

"Finnick," she called softly, "we have to get your head underwater."

"Kay," he croaked, trying to help as she pulled him in the water.

He clenched his jaw against the pain as he slowly sunk his head lower and lower, Katniss holding him firmly as he went. When he resurfaced, he sighed in relief.

"Gargle, it'll help your throat."

He obeyed and felt his throat soothed. He went under again and swam in easy circles around the girl he was supposed to be saving. After several minutes, he started playing around Katniss, popping up to catch a breath before diving back under and swirling around her legs. It felt good, but he knew he had to come back up and get in the Game before something bad happened. But, he did allow himself just a moment to enjoy the awed look on her face. That's when he noticed the scabs covering her skin and then he saw them on his body too and sighed; his sponsors weren't going to like that. And man, they itched!

He peeled off his wet and burned undershirt, admiring the way Katniss' wet underclothes clung to her body. Trying not to smile, he reached over and untied the spile from the belt she still wore. As he jogged for the nearest tree, he admitted to himself that he liked the way she froze with big gray eyes when he reached for her, he even liked the way she took care of him when he was hurt. Finnick shook his head; yep, he was in trouble. He was even starting to think she was pretty despite the ugly scabs.

"Finnick," she called sounding a little _too_ calm. "Wait on that water for a minute, I need your help over here first."

What the hell was going on? He didn't see anyone around, but she definitely looked skittish; which made him nervous. Carefully, he walked towards her, watching her closely. She was tensed and looked ready to spring into action. And she was armed, arrows on her back, bow loaded but pointed at the sand, and his last trident in her hand. He sped up without meaning to.

"Not too fast. Just stay cool. Remember those monkeys?"

He nodded fractionally and tried to stay at a calm pace.

"They brought back some frie-"

She gasped and Finnick ran like hell. She threw his trident dangerously close, missing the creature she was aiming for, but getting it near enough to his leg to snag up before the handle dropped. Running towards him, she was firing her arrows in rapid succession all around him. He felt a scratch down his back, but it wasn't deep. He spun around quickly and nearly choked at the number of mutts coming at them, circling around them.

Finnick reacted without conscious thought as the monkeys began charging once more. He lashed out with his trident, bashing, stabbing, throwing any that came near them, while Katniss filled them with arrows. Would it never end? How many had they killed? How many could be left? His arms were getting shaky when one got through their combined defenses. It jumped at Katniss just as she released her arrow, there was no time to nock a new one.

Finnick felt frozen, he had just lunged at a mutt and couldn't reverse direction. He let go of his weapon and reached for Katniss, knocking her down just as the female from District 6 appeared between them and the monkey. It latched onto her chest, tearing into her already bloody throat.

Suddenly, the attack ended and they melted back into the trees. Finnick's eyes were locked with the dying woman's until hands pushed at his chest. He looked underneath him, to where Katniss lay trapped beneath his bulk. He pushed off of her and knelt by the morphling addict and sighed.

"Oh Redla," he said softly as Katniss took her hand.

He watched silently as she painted a bloody flower on Katniss' wrist before going limp. A cannon shot off somewhere in the distance. Standing, he washed off in the lake and went back for the spile lying near the tree. He was so tired of all the suffering and death, of the image that he had to keep, the woman that he was forced to touch, he was tired of Capitol.

His hands shook with anger as he hammered the tool into the tree to get the water they needed. If it wasn't for his desire to keep Katniss safe, he might have done something drastic and stupid. He brought the water back to the beach, seeing that they had already retrieved the body. Katniss had gathered her bloody arrows and was washing them and herself.

"We should rest while we can," she said when she noticed him. "You've hardly slept; I'll take first watch."

"No. I'll watch, you sleep," he argued softly, not ready to dream of Mags yet.

"Finnick, I-" She stopped when she met his eyes. He knew she must have seen the sorrow in them, because she nodded her head and lay down with her back to him.

He appreciated her attempt to give him privacy to grieve. He watched her as she fell into a fitful sleep. Despite her rough exterior, she really was a good person. She had just been hardened by life, like the rest of them. Not many victors came out of the Games whole and undamaged. Finnick, himself, would probably have turned to drugs or drinking if it hadn't been for Mags. She had shifted from mentor to grandmother somewhere along the way. She had taken care of him, taught him how to survive the rest of his life. She had helped him with Annie.

He hadn't known what to do with that poor kid when she became a victor. Mags had shown him that with her fragile state of mind came the blessing of not having to 'work' for President Snow. And through helping Annie, his dwindling family got a little bit bigger. What would happen to that poor girl if he escaped the arena? That sweet crazy little sister. Would they be able to get her to safety too? He was promised that they would try.

He wiped his cheeks and took a deep, steadying breath. Enough. Enough giving in; Mags wouldn't want to wallow. He took his trident to the lake and wouldn't come out until he had a big healthy pile of fish for breakfast.

Finnick sighed in relief as he rubbed the green salve all over his body. He couldn't believe how wonderful it felt; if only he could get it onto his back. If he were with anyone else, he wouldn't even hesitate to ask. But it couldn't be helped.

"KittyKat," he called sweetly, smiling and wiggling the jar at her.

She scowled at the ridiculous name but took the container and smeared it generously over his back.

Finnick's head dropped to his chest, if only she would massage his shoulders, the moment would be perfect. But this was Katniss here, and her hands did the job swiftly and efficiently and then they were gone.

"Ah," he sighed, retrieving the cream from her. "Thank you."

She shrugged and sat down, scanning their surroundings.

"Would you like-"

"No." She cut him off.

"Doesn't your back itch?"

"Not really."

"Why are you so stubborn?" He crossed his arms, frowning at her.

To his surprise, she half-grinned. "Now you sound like Gale."

"Gale? Your exceedingly handsome...cousin?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

She rolled her eyes. "That's the one."

He knelt behind her, bending his head close to her hair to hide his lips from the camera. "So, it's not just me?" he whispered.

She looked at him questioningly over her shoulder.

"You're immune to all good-looking men."

She laughed, one short, burst of noise, but Finnick felt rewarded. Gently, he dabbed some salve on her lower back, where it peeked out beneath her shirt. She sighed and leaned forward, resting her head on her knees.

Taking her reaction as consent, he began smoothing more on. Not wanting to make her defensive, he wasn't sure about doing her upper back, so he started by just nudging her shirt a little.

"Go on then," she mumbled.

He slid his hands up her shirt, enjoying the feel of her soft skin more than he ought to.

"Your not really cousins, are you?" he whispered softly, his breath ruffling her hair.

She shook her head fractionally. "He's my best friend," she answered quietly and then lowered her voice so that he could barely make out the words. "My hunting partner."

"But you're not..."

"Of course not."

He was surprised at the certainty in her voice. "You never?"

"No," she answered without hesitation.

"Does he feel the same?"

For the first time, she paused before responding. "Things were...complicated when I got back."

"Because of Peeta?"

"Partially," she sighed. "It took a while, but we're _us_ again, mostly."

Finnick hummed softly, his hands lingering on her back, despite the job being done. "So, Gale was in love with you, but you didn't know it. And then you started playing love birds with Peeta, who was _also_ in love with you. When you got home, they both wanted you, but you didn't want either. How am I doing?"

"...Fairly accurate. It's not that I wanted to hurt Peeta, but Haymitch made it clear, if I needed some help, I was going to have to give him something in return."

"I understand."

"As for Gale, that really just came out of nowhere. One minute we're bringing in our catch, the next he was kissing me. It made no sense."

"Of course it did, at least to any other man. Who wouldn't fall for a girl like you?"

"Anyone with half a brain. Which is why Gale doesn't make sense, he's smart."

Finnick raised an eyebrow at her opinion of herself, but didn't comment further. Sure, she was no beauty, but she was very appealing.

"Well, there you have it; all greened up," he announced, wondering if he looked as sickly and grotesque as she did. His poor sponsors, the ugly must be killing them.


	5. Haymitch Returns

Finnick had just started to doze off when the parachute with bread landed on his chest. He counted it carefully and sighed, more waiting; he had hoped Devon, his mentor, would have better news. He noticed Katniss watching him curiously and grinned; he must look strange going over each piece of bread like that.

"Still warm." He passed her some to accompany the fish.

They chewed the luxury slowly, enjoying it in silence.

"Do you hear that?" Katniss asked, looking across the water.

"No, maybe it's your supersonic-" Finnick stopped, tilting his head at the familiar sound. "Get off the beach."

She didn't hesitate, following him up near the tree line, as a huge wave rolled in, soaking their fire and meager supplies.

"Where'd that come from?" she asked, twitching slightly when the cannon boomed, announcing a death, most likely from the tidal wave.

Finnick had just enough time to wonder who it was before Katniss drug him into the foliage, pointing to a nearby stretch of beach. He squinted his eyes at the odd behaving trio, not immediately recognizing them. Then he relaxed as Johanna's face became clear; she had done her job and got Beetee and Wiress out. But, what was all over them?

He jogged over to greet his friend, aware that Katniss was trailing after him, warily. Again, he wished Haymitch had let her in on what was happening, he had to find a way, but was too concerned about being overheard.

* * *

Finnick blinked awake, his body stiff and sore; at least he had finally gotten some rest. Groaning, he sat up and listened to Katniss rambling on about a clock. He rubbed his forehead and tried to make sense of her words. As the reality sunk in, Finnick felt a bit of relief. They couldn't change it, but they could now avoid the environmental dangers.

It didn't take long for Finnick to convince the others to return to the Cornucopia; it wasn't like anyone else had a better idea. Plus, they each had their roles, and they knew his was to keep Katniss alive, which was everyone's ultimate goal. They made quick time and then observed the clock first hand; it was unsettling. But not as bad as Wiress singing as she washed Beetee's blood from the wire.

Johanna grabbed a leaf and her knife and started to sketch out an ugly map of the clock. Finnick chuckled and pointed.

"What is _that_?"

She frowned. "An insect."

"With giant teeth?"

"Pincers," she growled at him.

"Right. And they have tails?"

"No. That's a stinger."

"Oh, sure. What about-"

"Shut up, Finnick," she snapped, turning so that he could barely see over her shoulder.

He grinned at Katniss, but she was ignoring him. They were all quiet for a minute, watching Johanna work and then he realized it was too quiet; Wiress had stopped her jovial song. He turned a second after Katniss did and saw the woman fall to the ground, blood pouring from her neck.

Looking up, he saw Gloss drop, with an arrow sticking out of his temple. How did she shoot so fast? Finnick and Johanna moved to either side of Katniss as Brutus, Enobaria, and Cashmere moved into close quarters. He jabbed out with his trident, grazing Brutus' side. Enobaria lunged at Katniss with a dagger and he barely managed to deflect it with his trident, but caught a knife to the thigh from Brutus in the process.

Finnick gritted his teeth and continued a mostly defensive battle as Johanna heaved her ax into Cashmere's chest. Katniss' bow whipped in front of him, catching Brutus across the cheek, leaving an angry welt.

From the left, something silver flew past Finnick's face and barely missed Enobaria.

"Haymitch!" Katniss shouted in relief as the two Careers ran for all they were worth.

He was about to pursue them when the world shook, knocking him to his feet and began spinning so fast that he felt sick. He tried to look for Katniss, but his stomach just couldn't handle it.

When the crushing force lifted, he was relieved to find the girl ill but still on land. Beetee on the other hand was splashing around weakly, so Finnick went out to bring him in.

"I thought you were getting Chaff?" Katniss questioned Haymitch.

"We got separated by snakes; huge things with fangs as long as my arm," he answered, grumbling. "I need a drink."

"We can get water over at-"

"Aint talking about water, Sweetheart," he cut her off.

She narrowed her eyes at him, but neither said a word.

While they all debated which way to go, Finnick tied his shirt around the wound on his thigh. Finally, knowing they had to move, they just picked at random and hoped for good luck. Haymitch carried Beetee, giving Finnick a much needed break.

"I'll get water; Katniss watch my back?" Finnick asked, heading towards the jungle's edge.

"I'll make another map, maybe Haymitch will know where those snakes were," Johanna suggested. "I wouldn't mind avoiding _them_."

Katniss walked close by Finnick's side, eyes on the trees. "Looks like that hurts."

He shrugged. "I've had worse."

She nodded but stayed tense.

"So about all this help..." she began softly.

"You still got that stylus, right?" he said loudly, obviously changing the subject.

She frowned but nodded, touching a finger to her belt. "Spile," she corrected.

"Right. Good thing you're holding it; my clothes are already halfway gone," he said casually and began digging a whole in the nearest tree. "Who knows how long my shorts will last." He grinned over his shoulder at her, chuckling when she rolled her eyes.

She was just handing him the spile when the first scream rang out. His instinct was to head back to the group, but Katniss sprinted directly towards the sound. The voice sounded so young and terrified and painful, that it hurt Finnick to hear.

"Prim!" Katniss screamed desperately, not slowing down.

He had no idea that she was so fast; he was loosing sight of her. Not that it would be hard to find her with all of the shouting, but then a sudden silence filled the area and Finnick's heart skip a beat.

"Katniss!" He ran as hard as he could. "Shit, please," he begged in a whisper. "Katniss!"

He nearly barreled into her where she stood, shaking and staring down at a bird she had shot.

"Are you alright? What happ-"

The next scream made his blood run cold.

"Annie? Annie!" Finnick ran for the woman who sounded more terrified than he had ever heard her before. "Annie!" What were they doing to her? How could they torture someone who was already so damaged?

The screams were coming from high up in an enormous tree. "Annie!" It didn't make any sense; how could she be up there? But it was her; there wasn't any doubt in his mind. "Annie!"

He circled the tree again, pounding on the bark. "Annie!"

The screams stopped suddenly as a bird plummeted to the ground at his feet.

"Annie?"

"Finnick, it's a jabberjay," Katniss explained calmly.

But his heart was still squeezed in panic.

"It's not real. It's just a jabberjay."

"They imitate what they hear. Where else would those sounds come from?" Finnick asked, desperately hoping she would prove him wrong. But her face drained of color as a new voice started shrieking in pain.

"Gale!" Katniss cried.

But Finnick caught her around the waist, physically forcing her from the area.

"He's not here. You can't help him," he reasoned, dragging her towards the beach. "We have to get out of here, get back to camp."

He was relieved when she stopped resisting and moved with him. They finally made it clear of the jungle and he thought it was safe to breath again, until he realized Johanna was staring at him and acting bizarre. But it was too late, he slammed nose-first into an invisible wall.

The pain was immediately forgotten, however, when the birds followed and started up their songs of horror. Annie screamed and pleaded and called his name, and all he could do was cover his ears and wish he were dead. She had trusted him to keep her safe and now there was nothing he could do.

There were other voices screaming; women, the one that Katniss had identified as Gale, several small children, and judging by Katniss' violent reaction, they must all be especially for her. But his sympathy for her was lost in his own misery. He had already lost Mags and now poor, sweet Annie. They didn't deserve this, maybe he did, but not them.

"Finnick," Johanna said softly, forty-five minutes later. "Finnick, we need to move. Come on, I can't carry you." She pried his hands away form his ears. "Look at me," she commanded, all tenderness gone.

He opened his scratchy eyes and grabbed her arm.

"Annie," he whispered.

"I figured," she said, soft again. "Get up, Odair, we have to move."

Painfully, he stretched out his clenched muscles and stumbled along behind the others. Johanna led him to the beach, well clear of the four o'clock wedge, where he collapsed on the sand. Haymitch gently sat Katniss beside him, her trembling body braced against his side. There were tears on her cheeks and she looked lost, if he had any heart left, it would have broken. Without any real thought, he grasped her frozen hand and she clamped down tightly on his.

"It's alright, Sweetheart," Haymitch said softly, patting her shoulder a little awkwardly. "It was just a trick, they used technology to change their voices, that's all. We're almost to the final eight, how can they interview Prim if they've hurt her?"

"They can't?" she whispered, gripping Finnick's bicep with her free hand.

"That's right; so they can't have hurt her, or your mom, or Gale or any of his family. They're back in 12, safe and sound," Haymitch reasoned.

"Do you believe that, Finnick?" she asked, watching him with wide eyes.

"...I don't know. Can they do that Beetee?"

"Yes, easily. We learn those techniques as school children," he confirmed.

Finnick breathed a little easier; the more they talked, the more he was convinced. He felt a little spark of pride when Johanna shouted about rebellion.

After a few minutes, he squeezed Katniss' hand and got shakily to his feet. He needed to get in the water, to swim and clean up, to compose himself.

He had just surfaced when a cannon blasted, drawing him out of the lake to join the others. He grimaced as the claw dipped down five times to retrieve the body, he felt a little ashamed hoping that it was Brutus.

But as night fell and the seal went up in the sky, he saw that he had no such luck. Everyone else was dead except for Chaff, Enobaria, and Brutus. Finnick could feel it all drawing to a close and soon. He could only hope to hold on, to keep Katniss alive until the time came.

The parachute dropped lightly to the ground near him, so Finnick opened it and examined the bread. Again, eh could feel Katniss' eyes on him, but he tried to ignore them. District 3 bread again.

"Twenty-four rolls," Finnick announced, trying unsuccessfully to think of a way to let Katniss in on the plan.

They were running out of time and he worried that she would try to leave them soon. He kept catching the odd looks she was throwing his way, and the hardening of her eyes when she looked at Johanna and Beetee. The looks she gave Haymitch were similar to those directed at Finnick; uncertain and soft, but determined. He hoped that they, at least, meant that he wasn't going to get an arrow in the back, but he couldn't be sure. Which really didn't help ease his concerns when she volunteered to keep watch.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review. :) **


	6. Nightmares

He tried to sleep, but nightmares of Annie being tortured and murdered kept plaguing him. He awoke with a gasp, looking around wildly for a moment before the sand inside his fists reminded him where he was at. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. Katniss was watching him sympathetically while Haymitch sharpened his knife, looking the other way.

"No use sleeping, if you don't get any rest; I'm done," he announced softly, crawling over beside them. "Katniss, you should get some sleep; Haymitch and I will keep watch."

"I'm not ready to hear them again," she mumbled.

"Try Kid, you're going to need it," Haymitch told her.

She took a deep breath, watching her former mentor carefully. "Why should that matter to you?"

Haymitch snarled at her. "Dammit, just _once _can't you do as you're told?"

"Not when I'm surrounded by liars." She scowled.

"Liar now, am I?" he growled.

She raised her eyebrow at Haymitch, making Finnick regret ever suggesting that she rest.

"My lies keep you alive. Did you ever think of that? Maybe there's a reason you don't know everything."

Her eyes narrowed. "Blind trust and obedience never really suited me. But don't worry; I'll give the two of you some time alone to plot."

"Now, it isn't like that, Katniss," Finnick interrupted.

"Then how _is_ it, Finnick?"

He set his jaw and crossed his arms, throwing Haymitch a dirty look when the older man laughed.

"Yeah." Katniss huffed and moved to an empty stretch of beach to lay down, not far from Beetee, her back to them.

They were silent for a long while before Haymitch grunted. They stared at each other for several minutes in the dim light.

"No," Haymitch said softly.

Finnick sighed. "She's going to get herself killed."

"No."

Finnick got right in Haymitch's face and said softly, but fiercely, "How can I protect her if she runs from me? If she thinks I'm plotting to kill her?"

Haymitch shoved him back. "Keep out of my face or the alliance is over."

Finnick scoffed, annoyed that Haymitch was playing to the cameras instead of addressing the problem.

"Sure, it'll be over soon enough anyways; I can wait," Finnick said casually for the camera's sake, and settled down, watching for signs of attack.

He refused to be surprised by District 2 again. They were so close to the end that it just might be possible to get their whole group out, and Chaff too, if he caught up in time. He only hoped to avoid Brutus and Enobaria; they didn't _need_ to die. Haymitch and he lapsed back into a long silence.

It wasn't long before he started to hear Katniss making sad little noises. He repeatedly turned his attention from the jungle to her, watching as her body kept tensing. It was hard to leave her to it, knowing what she had heard and was now dreaming about.

The girl called out weakly in her sleep and Finnick clenched his fist. Haymitch was steadfastly ignoring her, paying attention only to their surroundings, and the others all slept soundly.

"Prim," she gasped, sitting up, covered in sweat. Her eyes searched wildly around her, landing on Finnick. She took a deep shuddering breath and looked away.

Slowly, he crept over to her, careful not to wake anyone else. He touched her shoulder, sitting very close beside her. She turned hard eyes on him, making it plainly clear that neither his touch nor his nearness was welcome. But, he ignored it and leaned in close, brushing her braid aside and resting his hand on the back of her neck.

His lips touched the shell of her ear as he breathed softly, noticing the slight shiver she must have fought against showing.

"I'll explain when I'm sure it'll stay private," he whispered. "Please, try to be patient."

She pulled back and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Promise," he whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

To his surprise, she slapped away his hand irritably. Most women enjoyed his touch, no matter how seductive or innocent. Katniss was just so different, it was hard to figure her out. And he wanted to. He wanted to know where she learned to hunt and swim. What was it inside of her that drove her to protect Rue and Peeta, Mags, Wiress, and Beetee? Why hadn't she really fallen for Peeta or that so-called cousin back in 12? Finnick grinned ruefully; why wasn't she interested in_ him_?

But, he held up his hands in surrender and scooted a few inches away from her. He gave her the space she wanted and saw her lie back down. He couldn't afford to alienate her; he didn't want to.

Finnick spent the rest of the night closely guarding her slumber. Whenever she would start to sound distressed, he would gently smooth her hair back or rub her bare arm softly, to calm her. Several times, he caught Haymitch's disapproving looks, but he didn't care. She looked so sweet and peaceful when she slept, he doubted he'd ever see her look that way any other time. Time...something they were quickly running out of.

* * *

Finnick rubbed his tired eyes as the sun rose and the others started waking up. They mumbled greeting to each other, stealing glances at Katniss as she began to stir. She sat up just as a parachute fell, once more confirming the time of their rescue.

As he ate his rolls, he noticed the way Katniss' eyes would drift to him, then dart away. She seemed to have trouble looking at him. When she finished, she thumped Haymitch on the arm and said something about teaching him to swim. Finnick suspected that she just wanted to speak to him privately.

"Alright," Beetee blurted suddenly, a while later. "It's time to prepare for the big finish. I've got a plan, but we're going to need everyone's cooperation." He nodded towards where Katniss and Haymitch were having a heated discussion in the water.

"What do you need us to do?" Johanna asked, crossing her arms.

"For now? Just get along and let me work out the exact details," Beetee answered, spinning the coil of wire.

"If you announce that you have a plan, you should be ready to give instructions," she complained.

"I'm not going to do it twice. So until Haymitch convinces Katniss not to run off yet, I'll keep it to myself," he argued.

Johanna's eyes narrowed and she snapped back at him, but Finnick had already tuned them out, switching his focus back to the girl he was in charge of protecting. She turned to him suddenly and waved, calling for him to come in, claiming that she had a cure for his ugliness. He smiled and followed her lead, scrubbing away the awful scabs as Haymitch left for dry land.

"I'll be pretty again, shame the same can't be said for you," he said flippantly, admiring the way she could just shrug off the insult, not caring.

Finnick offered his back to her and shimmied his shoulders.

"Please," he begged in a particularly pathetic voice.

She huffed and rolled her eyes, but obliged him, scrubbing roughly at his skin.

"Ahh," he sighed contentedly, dropping his chin to his chest. "This could be perfect if would just drop the sand and massage my shoulders."

Her hands immediately broke contact and he could practically feel her scowling at him. "Not likely," she bit out. "Ask Johanna."

Finnick frowned, moving behind her, to work on her back, admiring the pink skin that was revealed. "Johanna rub my shoulders? More likely that she'd massage my testicles with a hard jab from her knee."

"Hmm... Never thought I'd have something else in common with her."

"I'm so happy I can help the two of you find common ground," he said sarcastically. But still, he smiled, enjoying the banter. He allowed his hands to linger another minute on her back, scrubbing at imaginary spots. "There, pink as a newborn baby." He stepped away.

"Yeah, I think that's going to be a problem," she confided with a frown. "More green stuff, for protection?"

Finnick sighed unhappily. "I suppose."

Katniss actually grinned at his displeasure, already starting to rub on the unflattering cream.

"How are you ever going to fall in love with me, if I have to keep looking like a frog?"

She snorted and slapped his back as she finished applying the green medicine to him. "Your looks have nothing to do with it."

"Yeah," he mumbled as she moved away at Beetee's summons. "That's what I'm struggling with."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading, don't forget to review.**

**Sorry that it took so long to update. First I had a bit of a block, but then I got a new job with new hours and throw in my kids' ball games and you have one crazed woman with not a lot of spare time. I'm getting used to it now, though. Shouldn't be so bad next time. **


	7. Seperated

Finnick kept a close eye on Katniss as they traveled p to the twelve o'clock tree for reconnaissance. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach and he made a habit of not ignoring such things.

Just as they gathered up their supplies to move to the Blood Rain section, the unsettling sound of insects got louder and…closer. His eyes darted to the tree, searching frantically; were the game makers changing the rules

"Finnick, I got Beetee," Haymitch announced, galvanizing them all into action.

"Go," Finnick said, pushing at Katniss' shoulder.

She took off at a sprint, nearly leaving him behind, but after several hundred meters, she started to slow.

"Hurry," Finnick urged her, catching up.

"Where to" she asked, matching his pace.

"Hell if I know...away."

They ran blindly for some time until Finnick grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop.

"Where're the others?" she whispered into the pressing of sudden darkness.

"Not sure. I thought Johanna was right behind us." He also spoke softly, worried about who or what might hear them. "We should-"

A loud thump cut him off and they stared at each other from inches away. Another thump shook the round, sending a shiver of terror down both of their backs.

"Tree," she breathed a fraction of a second before darting up the nearest one.

Finnick hesitated, unsure of climbing, especially when he could barely see.

"Come on," Katniss urged, kicking his shoulder from above.

"Dammit!"

Gritting his teeth, Finnick followed her up as high as he dared. He hugged the thinning trunk, balancing uncertainly on a less than sturdy branch. He could hear the soft rustle of leaves as Katniss scrambled still higher. It made him feel vulnerable being alone, so much closer to the ground than her, especially when the next thump sounded so near.

For a moment, everything was quiet, no birds were singing, no animals shuffling about. And then another thump shook the tree so hard, Finnick nearly lost his grip. As he steadied, he became aware of Katniss dangling from the limb above him. Her feet almost found purchase on his limb, when they were violently shaken once again. Her face was stubborn and set, but her fingers were losing the battle. Just as her left hand slipped from the branch, Finnick stretched out for her.

He had expected reluctance, but she immediately grabbed his shoulder, wrapping her legs around his waist and released her right hand, circling it around behind his neck. As soon as she was secure in his arms, he spun back to the tree trunk and tightened his grip on it.

Katniss grimaced as her back slammed into the hard bark, but held tight to the man supporting her as the thumping becoming an almost continuous rumble.

"Sorry," he mumbled gruffly into her ear.

Her grip tightened suddenly, squeezing him painfully. Reluctantly, he looked at her face and saw her fear-widened eyes staring past his shoulder. He took a deep breath and followed her gaze, his heart freezing in terror.

Through the darkness, he saw the mutation; it was massive, standing just a foot shorter than where they perched high up in the tree. It resembled a gorilla, but was covered with scales and Finnick was betting there were huge razor-sharp teeth in its mouth. It moved slowly, and Finnick realized the rumbling was actually a growl. He didn't take his eyes off of the monster until it faded into the night.

It wasn't until Katniss released a big breath of air, that Finnick noticed that he had been holding his breath too. He let it out as slowly as he could, trying to calm his racing heart. He forced his hands and arms to relax his grip on the tree and felt the girl ease her hold on him, bringing to attention the painful marks she left behind.

"Put me down," she said sternly in a low voice, obviously afraid the mutt would hear her and come back for them.

"Why?" he teased softly, suddenly aware of how soft and good she felt against him, les still wrapped around his waist. "This position has serious potential."

Her eyes narrowed in anger, but he could see a glint of pain in them too. She opened her mouth, but he chuckled and moved to set her down before she could threaten him.

As soon as her foot touched the branch, it was obvious that she was injured; her face scrunched up in pain and she pulled it immediately back up, throwing her off-balance. Finnick scooped her up, surprised when she fell into his embrace rather than fight it.

"It's bad?" he whispered, slowly lowering them down so that he could straddle the limb, placing her against the tree.

She caught his eyes before nodding slightly, her face set in an emotionless mask. But, she let him guide her leg up so that it rested across his lap. Her ankle was swollen, but he didn't think it was broken.

"I think it's-" he began, letting her pull away, but stopping when he realized she meant to stand up. "What're you doing?"

"We have to find the others." Her voice was hard as she struggled against the pain.

"No. We wait until dawn."

"We don't have time."

"We aren't going anywhere right now. Sit down and get some rest. Nothing's going to happen until we catch up with them."

"I'm sure they'll just sit around and wait for us; we're very important after all."

"Katniss-"

"Look Finnick, _we_ don't have to do anything. But _I'm_ going to find Haymitch."

"You _are_ important and Haymitch won't let anyone risk you unnecessarily," he said aggressively into her ear, hoping no one could overhear, and shook her shoulders roughly. "We're alone now, I'll explain tonight."

He pulled back to look into her suspicious eyes. "Now relax," he said louder with a grin. "And enjoy my company."

She scowled. "Not likely."

He sighed, knowing she was completely serious.

"Let me help," he lowered his voice seductively and scooted in close. "I have a talent, you know. For understanding just what it is every beautiful woman wants, what she needs."

Her eyes widened innocently when he leaned in close and ran a hand down her cheek, his thumb grazing over her lips.

"If only you weren't so ugly, I could figure it out."

She glared at him and shoved his chest away from her. Finnick laughed, but didn't back away.

"Kidding, just kidding. Come here," he urged her. "Play nice."

"Tired of playing nice," she rumbled, crossing her arms but relaxing her body.

"_That_ was nice?" He smirked.

"Nice enough." She shrugged.

"Hmm… And you're sure that you're not related to Haymitch?"

Finnick grunted when she punched him hard in the arm.

"Was that supposed to convince me? Because really, it felt like you were confirming my theory."

"Shut up," she whispered harshly.

"Oh come on, I just-"

But she slapped a hand over his mouth, muffling his words. At first, he thought she was finally being playful, but then he too heard it; someone was approaching their location. Katniss leaned in, pulling Finnick to her and put her lips to his ear.

"Chaff," she breathed and turned his face towards the one-armed man's location.

"Brutus," Finnick whispered back, guiding her by the chin so that she could see District 2's Victor, on the opposite side.

"Where's Enobaria?"

He stared into her eyes for a moment then shrugged and shook his head. Katniss was right, the two district mates would most likely be near each other; even fights just weren't their style.

They waited silently as the other men slowly crept away, and Enobaria came through several minutes later, following Brutus' trail.

"So the plan is to wait?" Katniss dared to whisper a while later.

"Yes. We just sit tight and-" Finnick broke off when the anthem began. He pulled Katniss close so he could speak directly into her ear and hide his face. "There's a plan to get us all out."

She turned her face into his neck, sending a little shiver down his spine. "Out?"

"Out of the Game, out of Capitol. Haymitch is in contact with the Rebellion; they want you. Beetee is the mastermind, of course, to actually getting us out; but they're out there, ready to pick us up."

"But how?"

"Shh," he interrupted her as the anthem faded and the darkness surrounded them once again. "Try to get some sleep."

"Sure, no problem."

She wiggled a bit in his hold as she tried to find a comfortable position, grimacing once when she moved her leg. Finally, she dozed off, head on Finnick's shoulder.


	8. Up a Tree

Finnick waited, keeping one eye on Katniss and one on the forest surrounding them. He held her close, on his lap, as she slept. He was concerned that she would fall out of the tree, after all they didn't possess any rope to tie themselves down like he had watched her do last year. Her head rested on his bare shoulder, her legs crossed behind his back. Gently, so that he didn't wake her, Finnick ran a hand down her braid.

"Stop it," she grumbled, her breath ghosting across his neck.

"Just wanted to see if it was as soft as it looks."

"My fist is harder than it looks, want to see it up close?"

"Ha! Tempting, but no."

"Your loss; I've been told it's impressive."

"By who? Gale?"

"Not exclusively. Darius swore I was hiding a tool in my fist." She smiled, looking up at Finnick. "Once, I actually was, had a bone scraper. I didn't mean to connect, but he ducked right into it." Her smiled faded, her eyes turning sad.

Finnick studied her for a moment. "He back home in 12?"

"Not anymore," she said, her voice turning bitter. A cold hatred filled her eyes, wiping away all trace of sadness."

"You go to school together?"

Katniss shook her head. "No, he's a...was a peacekeeper.

"Was? Does that mean he's..."

"He's an Avox. They made him an Avox and put him on our floor. What right do they have to take someone so alive and destroy him?"

Finnick swallowed roughly, watching a tear slip down her cheek. He raised a hand to her suddenly soft-looking face, but she knocked it away and wiped her own cheek.

"Katniss," he began, but she cut him off.

"Don't."

He sighed, but dropped his hand.

"There's nothing wrong with caring," he said softly.

"It only gives them more to take from you."

"Katniss-"

"What do you know?" she accused, glaring at him through her tears.

"...I had a family once. Parents that loved me. A brother. Mags." His voice broke and he had to clear his throat. "My mother was the kindest person I've ever met. She'd give her last to a stranger if he said he was hungry."

"...What happened?" Katniss asked quietly.

"I became a Victor. And like you said, the more you love, the more they can take. They took so much. They ruined everything. But, I still love, I still try."

"Fin-"

"Just don't give up yet, okay?"

She sighed. "Why do you even care?"

"Because, even if I don't get out, I want you to."

"Finnick..that's-"

"Romantic, yeah I'm full of romance."

She scoffed, but a hint of a grin showed before she could hide it.

"How's the ankle?"

"It'll be fine. We need to move."

"Agreed." He scooted back, lowering her carefully to the branch, mind full of her sore ankle. He helped her stand up beside him, relieved that she wasn't too unsteady. "Want me to carry you?"

"Want me to kick you?"

"Think you can?"

"I can manage."

Finnick laughed and began climbing down slowly, under the pretense of keeping an eye on Katniss. Really, he was mostly worried about falling, which became apparent when she passed by him, easily maneuvering without putting much weight on her injury.

"Show off," Finnick grunted when he dropped lightly to the ground beside her.

"Not my fault you're bad enough to make me look so good."

"Looking good, that must be a first for you," he teased.

Katniss shrugged. "Probably."

"Alright Kitty Cat, let's head back to special tree."

"Hopefully we can find it."

"I'd love to find some breakfast," Finnick complained when his stomach rumbled loudly.

Squirrel thing or long nosed fuzzy creature?" Katniss asked grabbing an arrow and only limping slightly despite her still-swollen ankle.

"Um...long nose."

As soon as he answered, she adjusted her aim and let the arrow fly, skewering the animal through the eye.

Shaking his head, he jogged over and retrieved their breakfast, prepairing it as they walked.

"We went further than I thought," Katniss commented twenty minutes later, her limping becoming more pronounced.

"Yeah well, we were moving pretty fast."

He stopped and started tossing cubes of meat into the force field.

"Let's rest while eat," he suggested.

"No time."

"Yes, there is. Sit, relax your ankle while you can. It's going to be a long day."

She huffed but complied, accepting the food he passed her.

Thanks Finnick," she said softly. "For all of it."

He waved her thanks away. "Please, call me Finny Bear."

She snorted and shoved some meat into her mouth.

"Finny Bear O'dair, hmmm, does have a nice ring it," she said around a big bite.

"Very ladylike," Finnick said after swallowing pointedly.

"Don't be so delicate," she chastised.

"You never let up, do you?"

"Nice change of subject. But no I don't."

"You weren't this tough on Peeta," he said carefully, gauging her reaction.

Katniss shrugged. "You can take it."

"I don't know, I am just a delicate flower, after all."

She looked at him then, and even though her face was impassive, her eyes were smiling. Finnick felt a surge of confidence as he realized that Katniss liked him, she just didn't want anyone to know.

"Why are you flexing?" she asked slowly, looking at him like he must be crazy.

"What? I'm not." He relaxed the muscles that had been flexing without his consent.

"Sure. Must have been my imagination."

"Your imagination has good taste."

"Obviously not." She stood with a wince and began to head for the tree again.

Finnick sighed. "I'm an idiot," he mumbled to himself.

"Won't hear me disagreeing," she chirped from a few feet away.

"Ears like a dog," he grumbled a little softer.

A/N: Please excuse any mistakes, I had to type this on my tablet, which isn't very story-friendly.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! You don't know how much I appreciate it. :-)


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